25 Journal Prompts To Help You Appreciate Who You Were, And Who You Are.

I was 19. 19 years old when I left the comfort of the home I was born and raised in. A young adult hungry to find the answers to my questions. My potential. What I could aspire to be. Who I could actually become. As much as this hunger raced inside of my blood like an ongoing tornado, my outer identity modeled something else. A shy, quant and timid girl. Someone who inwardly showed self-confidence, but hid it just as quick because of the constant nagging voice of outer self-doubt. I wanted to rid of it. I wanted to discover the spirit hiding behind the reserved facade. The true face behind the false mask. I wanted to find…me.

So I ventured out. To a city that would be unlike the one I call home. One filled with opportunities, culture, and different perspectives.

Atlanta, Georgia.

The first few months were hard. Tough, in fact. Imagine moving to a brand new state with no money and the weight of college tuition, bills, and loneliness lowering you down further and further. Will I even make it? Can I even do this? Yes, I could.

I eventually found my way with a waitressing job and an internship at a radio station to begin growing my relationships. The story unravels from there. From the radio station, to another internship at Reach Records, to singing gigs, to acting, to graduating college, to saleswoman, to content creator, to webinar producer and host. Each experience carrying me into a higher wisdom and calling as my purpose was finally made known. I was ecstatic that I was pealing back those last layers that would show me the core of who I truly was. But…with each layer, I noticed a pattern. A bad habit. Another false voice.

Every time I moved on to the next opportunity with a more knowledgable mindset and solidified confidence that wasn’t previously there, I would immediately hate the old me. A voice would say, “you should hate who you used to be.” To hate the me that was present in prior experiences. The me that wasn’t as smart, or as confident, or as worthy as the me that is now.

This, my friend, is a bad habit most of us can’t shake.

Think about the amount of times you’ve looked back at a photo and called yourself ugly? Or when you step foot into your old high school and immediately get disgusted at all the bad memories? What about your old boyfriend? That song you used to listen to when you were depressed? It all brings this negative vibe back inside your mentality. And you hate it. Why? Because it reminds you of the old you.

Trust me, I understand. I used to hate it too. Until I found the beauty in it.

There’s something special in taking the time to realize how far you’ve come. The different stages in life that brought you from where you were, to where you are. That’s the mysterious thing about destiny. Your journey has already been planned out.

Now, think about that for a moment. Every single thing that has happened in your life has happened exactly how it was supposed to. Every. Little. Thing. And those events, feelings, relationships, changes, and anything else that occurred in the past? They all occurred to make you into who you are today. So you see, it was all necessary. Even if you can’t see it yet.

I realized this when I went back to the radio station for a visit. I haven’t been back since I originally left the internship 4 years ago. It was my first professional experience living in Atlanta where my day was filled with constant duties of assisting, making runs, answering phone calls, attending their remote events, and learning all the tech and production to make a radio show happen.

I figured it might be good to see previous bosses and check in at the first place that pushed my creativity further. But when I walked in, I felt this rush of memories. Bad memories. Not of what, but of who. My own self. I immediately remembered the girl that I used to be when I worked there. Shy, quiet and self-esteem so low and visible that it was easy for people to walk all over me.

Ugh. Shivers. Annoyance of who I used to be drew my attention away from that present moment of visiting. Why couldn’t I have been more confident? More outgoing? What was wrong with me?

On my way back home, I came to the realization that this negative thinking was wrong. If I wasn’t that shy girl, I would’ve never learned how to build confidence from the ground up. I wouldn’t know how to inspire other women to do the same. I wouldn’t have had the mentors that guided me in that direction. I wouldn’t have known humbleness and humility the way I do now. This all led me to one key thing.

Love who you were, just as much as who you are.

Who you used to be is the exact reason as to why your purpose, your existence, your destiny, your knowledge, and your wisdom were all established.

And if you’re struggling with that past or present self-appreciation, I encourage you to put in the daily effort to change your perspective. I challenge you to think back and reminisce on how far you’ve come. Learn to love who you were. Learn to value what you’ve been through, the good and the bad. Learn to apreciate the journey between then and now so you can visualize how much your growth has flourished.

It can be easy for us to miss out on the beauty of this. We get caught up with our current responsibilities and, if you’re like me, are always thinking of more. More success, more knowledge, more money, more this, more that. Constantly thinking ahead is great when striving to reach your full potential. However, learning to also take the time to simply sit, think back, and appreciate your past is vital to true discovery of ones full self.

Because I believe in you, I’ve written out a Self-Appreciation Workbook + 25 Journal Prompts to help you get started! Write out your thoughts. Your past. What you learned. How you mentally grew. Where you were. Where you are. Then, close your eyes and meditate on it for a bit. Put yourself into your old shoes and mentally walk your journey from then to now. Feel it. Value it. See it in a positive entity so that your past and present can be filled with love, forgiveness, and appreciation for YOU. The you then, and the you now.

Always remember, bloom to grow. Build to succeed. And beautify to love.

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